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Wallace Shawn
| Place of birth = New York, New York, USA | Date of death = | Place of death = | Awards for Trek = | Roles = | Characters = Zek }} Wallace Shawn is the predominately bald, pouty-lipped American actor and playwright who played Zek, the Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. However, he is probably best known for his portrayal of Vizzini in , the acclaimed 1987 comedy/fantasy film co-starring Chris Sarandon. Early life and aspirations A native of New York City, New York, Shawn graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history from Harvard University. He then studied economics and philosophy at Oxford University in England, with the intention of becoming a diplomat. He began to involve himself with theater in 1970. He wrote his first play in that year, entitled The Hotel Play. He began acting on stage, as well, though mostly in his own plays or in projects with theater director . Acting career Woody Allen films He made his feature film debut in 1979's Manhattan, directed by . Shawn has since appeared in several of Woody Allen's subsequent films, including Radio Days (1987, with Kenneth Mars and Mike Starr), Shadows and Fog (1992, with David Ogden Stiers, Camille Saviola, Kurtwood Smith, Kenneth Mars, and Richard Riehle), and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001, again with David Ogden Stiers, as well as John Schuck). Film work, 1979-1989 After Manhattan, Shawn had small roles in films such as All That Jazz (1979), with Ben Vereen and Cathie Shirriff, and Atlantic City (1980), co-starring Robert Joy, both of which were nominated as Best Picture by the Academy Awards. Shawn then acquired recognition for "playing" himself in the unique 1981 film My Dinner with Andre, in which Shawn and his long-time friend, Andre Gregory, discuss their life experiences and philosophical views during a meal in a restaurant. Shawn also co-wrote this film with Gregory, and both won a Boston Society of Film Critics award for their work. Shawn's other film credits throughout the '80s include Strange Invaders (1983, with Louise Fletcher, Kenneth Tobey, Dey Young, and Thomas Kopache), Deal of the Century (1983, with Richard Herd, Graham Jarvis, Richard Libertini, and Tony Plana), Head Office (1985, with Merritt Butrick), The Bedroom Window (1987, with Brad Greenquist, Mark Margolis, and Leon Rippy), She's Out of Control (1989, with Catherine Hicks and Derek McGrath), and Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989, with Robert Beltran and Ed Begley, Jr.). Film work, 1990s-present In 1995, Shawn co-starred as debate teacher Wendell Hall in the hit comedy film Clueless. In 1996, he and TNG guest actors Ray Walston, Christopher McDonald, and Daniel Roebuck appeared in the comedy House Arrest. In 1999, he co-starred with aforementioned actor Christopher Lloyd in My Favorite Martian, based on the classic series which starred Ray Walston (who also has a cameo in the film adaptation). His more recent films include Disney's The Haunted Mansion (2003) and the 2006 science fiction black comic drama Southland Tales. The latter also starred Dwayne Johnson, John Larroquette and Holmes Osborne. Shawn most recently appeared in the family film Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. Television work On television, Shawn appeared in two episodes of Paramount Television's hit comedy series, Taxi, which starred Christopher Lloyd. He later had a recurring role on the Emmy Award-winning NBC comedy series The Cosby Show, appearing in four episodes (and voicing in one other) from 1987 through 1991. One-time TNG guest star Sabrina LeBeauf was a regular on this series. From 1994 through 1998, Shawn made recurring appearances on the CBS series Murphy Brown. Also in 1994, Shawn guest-starred on the CBS comedy series The Nanny, starring TNG guest actor Daniel Davis. Shawn's episode, "Pinske Business", also featured another TNG alum, the aforementioned Ben Vereen. Shawn also reprised his role from the film Clueless in the short-lived television spin-off series that followed. More recently, Shawn has guest-starred on such series as Sex and the City (starring Kim Cattrall), Fat Actress (starring Kirstie Alley), Sci-Fi Channel's Stargate SG-1 (with Bruce Gray), Desperate Housewives (with Teri Hatcher, Mark Moses, and Alfre Woodard), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (developed by Rene Balcer). He also had a recurring role as Dr. Howard Stiles on the NBC series Crossing Jordan, starring Miguel Ferrer. Voice-over work Shawn's distinct, high-pitched voice has been used in several animated films, most notably as Rex the Dinosaur in the Toy Story films from Disney and Pixar. He also supplied voices for the Emmy-winning TV series Teacher's Pet and its 2004 film adaptation (also voicing David Ogden Stiers and Kelsey Grammer), as well as another Disney/Pixar hit, The Incredibles. Shawn more recently lent his voice to the 2005 Disney film Chicken Little, as did TNG star Patrick Stewart. In addition, Shawn voiced Bertram in the "Emission Impossible" and "Sibling Rivalry" episodes of Family Guy, the popular animated series created by Star Trek fan Seth MacFarlane. Majel Barrett also voiced in the first episode. Playwrighting As a playwright, Shawn's works are typically politically-charged and controversial. His more well-known plays include Aunt Dan and Lemon (1985, which earned Shawn Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding New Play) and The Designated Mourner (1997). The latter and two other plays (Marie and Bruce and The Fever) have been made into films, all of which were adapted for the screen by Shawn himself. Shawn also created a new translation of Bertolt Brecht's play The Threepenny Opera which ran on Broadway in 2006. ''Star Trek'' appearances * ** (Season One) ** (Season Two) ** (Season Three) ** (Season Five) ** (Season Six) ** (Season Seven) ** External links * * * Shawn, Wallace Shawn, Wallace de:Wallace Shawn es:Wallace Shawn nl:Wallace Shawn